Softball: West Aurora, Beatus blank St. Charles North
The best teams in the Upstate Eight Conference's two divisions squared off Monday at St. Charles North. The difference - as it has been all year for West Aurora - was pitching.
Junior Hannah Beatus added another notch in her belt of shutting down an elite opponent, firing a 1-hitter in the Blackhawks' 2-0 victory.
Beatus struck out 12, walked 2 and allowed just a sixth-inning double to Maddie Webb.
"It all starts with Hannah," Blackhawks coach Randy Hayslett said. "That makes it easier. This is a game you get up for. That was a great game."
Beatus has now thrown 14 innings against the two St. Charles schools this year and not allowed a run to either.
"We had one girl get good wood on the ball," North Stars coach Tom Poulin said. "Other than that we tried, you have to tip your cap to her, she's the best pitcher we've seen this year."
Beatus got off to a quick start striking out the side in the first inning. The umpire was giving both teams the low outside corner, and Beatus repeatedly hit that spot.
"They weren't really biting on my rise ball," Beatus said. "That outside corner was really working for me today because typically I'm more of a screw ball/rise ball pitcher. My curve was good today."
The North Stars stranded a runner at third in the second and a pair of baserunners in the sixth, but most innings were three up, three down as Beatus improved to 11-1.
"We were getting the outside call," Hayslett said. "You give Hannah corners, we're going to hit those corners."
Jillian Waslawski kept the North Stars even at 0-0 through 4 innings. The bottom of the Blackhawks lineup got to her in the fifth.
Jessica Vargas doubled off the right-field fence. Sophomore Libby Zoppa drilled a 1-2 pitch over the left-field fence for her first home run of the season - and the only 2 runs of the game.
"Libby has a nice swing," said Hayslett, whose team also used a home run - by Corey McCreedy - as the only offense to win Beatus's shutout of St. Charles East. "We're trying to use that a little more. That was huge."
St. Charles North (16-4, 11-2) has a 1-game lead in the loss column over St. Charles East in the River Division while West Aurora (22-1, 13-0) is on cruise control on its way to the Valley championship.
No. 9 hitter Alexis Faxon added a single as the Blackhawks' only 4 hits came from their No. 7-9 hitters.
"It's been a great season so far," Zoppa said. "We've had really good hitting throughout the entire lineup and great pitching and great defensive work. Our coaches have been great. They try to keep us up during the games."
Waslawski struck out 4 and walked 2 for the North Stars who have a key game next week at Geneva in their bid to win an outright division title.
"I thought Jillian did a really nice job," Poulin said. "A 3-hitter usually gets the job done. We thought if we could get runners on we could be aggressive but we just couldn't get anyone on."